TOLL OF THE AIR

Evening Star, Issue 26000, 15 January 1947, Page 6

TOLL OF THE AIR

CRASHES CAUSE CONCERN INVESTIGATION' SOUGHT IN AMERICA NEW YORK, January 13. Echoing public opinion at the recent air crashes, members of 'both the'House of Representatives and the Senate advocated Congressional investigation independent of that which the Senate Commerce Committee is about to make into safety precautions as part of the general examination of commercial aviation. , Mr L. Mendel Rivers (Democrat, South Carolina) called the House’s attention to the report that the Eastern Air Line plane crashed in Virginia on January 12 vvitH the’loss of 18 lives, at least 60 miles off its course.” Senator Brewster . (Republican, Maine), in an interview, declared that people were getting afraid to fly. The situation, was destroying public confidence. These Congressional reactions followed the deaths of 29 persons in aircraft accidents in the United States on Sunday. Air line officials have also reported a decline in air travel. They admitted that it was caused partly through crashes, but contended,, however, that ,the slump in air ti avel was normal in January, because of had weather and slackness in general business and recreation activity. One official pointed out that last year, with the passenger fatality rate 1.24 for every 100,000,000 passenger • miles, United States air lines marked up their best record since 1939. -

A report from Shanghai says that China’s major air lines have resumed passenger services after the week’s grounding ordered by the Communications Ministry as the result of' four crashes within 11 days that killed 113 persons. There is no official announcement on what improvements, if any, had beeo v made for safety during the suspension of the services. Booking offices, however, are crowded with people seeking reservations. • A passenger traffic slump has hit the air lines, says the London ‘ Daily Express.’• This is partly a seasonal falling off, but the rising nnmber of planh crashes is causing people to cancel bookings. There are 1,200 available seats on 37 planes in an average Week at , the London airport. For more than a month fewer than two-thirds of the seats have been occupied. w • . KENT (jRASH DEATH ROLL NOW SEVEN (Bee. 11.15 a.m.) LONDON, Jan., 14. The navigator of the Dakota''aircraft which crashed in Keift on Saturday last has died, pinkin'? the death roll seven.